Samantha Gleckler, Rochester softball show their mettle in 3A regional title win

ROCHESTER, Ill. — Rochester softball coach Lindsay Howard wasn’t kidding.

Samantha Gleckler has a knack for coming through in a pinch.

The senior third baseman dispensed the walk-off single with two outs and the No. 2 Rockets (23-7) claimed their first Class 3A regional title since 2021 with a rollicking 3-2 triumph over No. 3 Springfield High in eight innings on Thursday.

Gleckler, Rezba carry the mantle: Here's what made this softball season stand out above the rest for these Rochester seniors

They will meet No. 1 Mount Zion in the Charleston Sectional semifinal on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Braves walloped No. 4 Danville 13-0 in five innings.

“I was thinking about it yesterday and just felt it was going to come,” Gleckler said. “I just wanted to stay calm and see ball, hit ball.”

Springfield High’s Mia Volpert was her quintessential self on both sides of the ball.

The junior standout throttled the game-tying two-run home run over the left field fence in the seventh to force extras. Volpert also smoked a double to the center field wall to begin the game to go along with nine strikeouts in a complete game in the circle.

She gave up three runs on nine hits and one walk in the loss.

Earlier this week: Jacksonville advances to regional title game, plus other 3A softball/baseball regional results

SHS coach Matt Koger said Volpert steps up all of the time, and this was no different.

"She put this team on her back in a lot of situations and obviously the hit in the seventh inning was huge," Koger said. "It was a new belief that we could go out there and win it, but Rochester made a few more plays offensively than us today. They deserve to win."

SHS exits 17-7 overall.

"We’ve had a really good run and I’m really proud of these three seniors (Kendall Knauer, Emma Scheffler and Megan Bullock), they’ve meant a lot to our program and it will be hard seeing them go," Koger said. "We’ve had a good run over the last four years and one loss in a great ball game doesn’t take anything away from that. "

Rochester sophomore pitcher Jaelyn Watts rode out the storm down the homestretch and totaled 15 strikeouts in a complete-game win. She yielded just three hits and six walks.

Playoff brackets: 2024 IHSA baseball and softball brackets: Springfield-area playoff schedules

Watts, who improved to 16-3, said she dedicates each game to the seniors, including Gleckler and Raegan Rezba.

"We knew our shot would come and Sam stepped up and finished it off for us," Watts said. "It was a whole team effort."

Sophomore catcher Eleanor Schudel jumpstarted the eighth with a single before Emmah Brown reached safely on a bunt single. Glecker then took advantage of a fastball down the third base line.

Gleckler, who will play at Lincoln Land Community College, also had a pivotal RBI single in the fourth inning to score freshman Brooklyn Thompson for a 2-0 lead. Thompson and Samantha Cory had two hits apiece as well.

"She’s a great pitcher and you have to be able to attack her early," Gleckler said of Volpert. "When you see the fastball, you’ve got to just attack it. That was my mindset the whole game and I just didn’t want to have to see any of her special stuff."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Samantha Gleckler, Rochester softball dash Springfield High